TOWSON, Md. – Towson Lacrosse hosts High Point (0-1) in the Tigers’ season opener on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. in Unitas Stadium.

The teams have played just one other time – Feb. 8, 2013 when the Panthers defeated the Tigers, 9-7, for HPU’s first collegiate lacrosse win. Junior Cory Dobyns scored four EMO goals for Towson in the loss.

Towson comes into Saturday’s contest as the defending Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) champions after they defeated No. 9 Penn State in the CAA finals, 11-10. Senior Thomas DeNapoli, an honorable mention USILA All-America selection, returns to lead the Tigers on attack. He had 41 goals and 19 assists for 60 points in 2013. Sophomore Tyler White is projected to take over in goal for the graduated USILA All-American Andrew Wascavage.

High Point comes into the game off a 10-3 loss at Delaware on Feb. 1. Michael LeClair, Dan Lomas and Brad James each scored a goal for the Panthers. Austin Geisler made 13 saves in the effort, earning Atlantic Sun Defensive Player of the Week honors.

TOWSON TIGERS

Record

0-0

Ranking

RV (USILA), RV (Warrior-Inside Lacrosse)

Last Game

May 12 – at No. 3 Ohio State (L, 16-6)

Head Coach

Shawn Nadelen (Johns Hopkins, 2001)

HIGH POINT PANTHERS

Record

0-1

Ranking

N/A

Last Game

Feb. 1 – at Delaware (L, 10-3)

Head Coach

Jon Torpey (Ohio State, ’00)

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TOWSON, Md. – Towson Lacrosse kicks off its 2014 season with a pair of scrimmages at Maryland with Villanova on Saturday, January 25. Bucknell will also participate in the exhibitions, which are scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m.

The Tigers will play Villanova at 12:30 p.m. on the J. Logan and Louise Schutz Football Practice Complex and Maryland on Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium at 2:30 p.m.

Towson was picked to finish second in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in 2014 in a preseason poll by the league’s head coaches.

Maryland finished 2013 with a 10-4 overall record, losing 16-8 to Cornell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Terrapins finished first in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with a 2-1 league mark. They return two of their 20-plus-goal scorers from last season, Mike Chanenchuk (23g, 14a) and Jay Carlson (20g, 2a) as well as goalie Niko Amato (7.98 goals-against average (GAA), .594 save pct.)

Villanova ended last season 7-8 overall and 5-1 in the Big East. The Wildcats defeated Georgetown, 15-12, in the first round of the league tournament before falling to Syracuse, 13-9. Kevin O’Neil (15g, 12a) and John Kluh (17g, 9a) are ‘Nova’s returning leading scorers. Goalkeeper Reed Carlson returns for his junior season after finishing 2013 with a 10.28 GAA and a .479 save percentage.

The Tiger return eight starters and 26 letter winners from a team that overcame an 0-3 start to 2013 and upset two ranked teams en route to its first CAA title since 2005 and 11th NCAA Tournament appearance. Thomas DeNapoli and Andrew Wascavage earned honorable mention All-America honors from the USILA. Five Tigers earned All-CAA honors.

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The Tigers came into fall ball as something they hadn’t been since 2005 – reigning Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) champions. To those outside the program, Towson was an unlikely champion – starting 0-3 and needing to defeat two ranked opponents in a row to claim the conference tournament crown.

Towson Lacrosse knew all that effort and energy expended in the spring could lead to a letdown over the summer and into the fall.

Coming back strong
“We didn’t want to play catch up,” said Head Coach Shawn Nadelen. “We wanted to make sure we returned in the fall at the level we finished in the spring.

“I think that’s hard, in the summer, to keep that intensity and level of play with guys having jobs and internships and taking a step back from the game after going hard for the full academic year. Especially our top guys, our seniors, making sure they came back ready to go. Not only for the team but for the competitiveness of what we knew we would be encountering [in the fall] with the incoming freshmen. We wanted to set a good example for those guys.”

It proved tough for some of the returners to ward off complacency.

“Our returners came back not ready to execute and compete at a high level,” noted Nadelen. “You finish at such a high end somewhat as a team – the NCAA loss was frustrating – but I feel like we are moving in a good direction as a team and a program.

“The majority of the individuals who stepped up for us down the stretch for us didn’t come back at as high of a level execution-wise and play-making ability as I would have hoped. The good thing is it is September when that was happening, but we want to be able to grow as a team and have those guys at the forefront. We need them to understand that once you take a step forward, you can’t take a step back. I think that was a little bit of a lesson they learned.”

A shot of youth
If they hadn’t come to that conclusion on their own once they hit the turf at Unitas Stadium or the weight room in the Towson Center, the incoming freshman class was more than willing to help them.

Despite the typical getting-up-to-speed adjustment period for freshmen, they, as individuals and collectively, brought an energy and intensity to fall practice that spurred the returning players into action.

“[The freshmen] have brought intensity, and they are talented as a collective group,” said Nadelen. “They are very competitive as a collective group. I think that has been a welcomed addition from the returning players.

“We have freshmen attackmen beating John Fennessy and JoJo Ostrander in one-on-ones the first week of practice. Those two defensemen are proven starters and proven All-CAA players, and we have freshmen attackmen taking them to the rack and scoring.”

Stepping up and standing out
Several of the freshmen stood out to Nadelen – Joe Seider at attack, Tyler Young at midfield and Alec Burckley at the face-off position. In goal, Matt Hoy has taken advantage of the graduation of All-AmericanAndrew Wascavage and has not only improved his own game but pushed others to improve as well.

On defense, Tyler Mayes and sophomore Mike Lowe came to practice ready to work.

Lowe “came back and played at a high level right away. He was aggressive and really showed us he was ready for a starting spot.”

Among the other returners, senior Thomas DeNapoli, who struggled with injury and fitness issues, still has great execution and sharp play-making ability. Senior Andrew Hodgson has stepped up as a leader in practice and during the team’s annual workout with The Program, earning recognition as the Tiger who consistently worked hard and led his teammates for the second straight year.

The Tigers participated in the Play for Parkinson’s Tournament and held alumni and intra-squad scrimmages, which showed the coaching staff where the players had improved and what still needed more work.

“Offensively, we’re in a pretty good spot with what Coach Gilardi has installed and done with our offense,” said Nadelen. “We have a lot of experience in the midfield coming back. With DeNapoli, and [Cory] Dobyns, [Devin] Grimaldi, Max [Siskind] and the freshmen infused into the mix.

“System-wise as an offense, we’re understanding what’s expected and able to be in the right spots, making the right reads, the majority of the time. The tempo offensively needs to continue improve and be more consistent which is one area coach keeps emphasizing with those guys.”

Defensively, the close defense is strong. The long stick and defensive midfield groups and the goalkeeping corps are young. A few weeks into individuals, these position groups are starting to pick it up and execute at a higher level. Nadelen thinks the Tigers are making good strides there.

“The two big concerns coming out of the spring were what are we going to be like in the cage and what are we going to be like at the face-off position,” stated the coach. “We graduated Andrew Wascavage and he was terrific, and we were terrible at the face-off position. We need to improve that. And we’re making good progress in both those areas. I feel confident with where we are there and I feel like we have a little bit better identity with both of those positions.”

Welcoming Scott Rodgers
The freshmen are not the only new addition to the team. Over the summer, former Notre Dame standout goalkeeper Scott Rodgers joined the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant.

Working mainly with the goalkeeping corps, he has been a welcome addition to Towson Lacrosse.

“Scott brings a great perspective,” mentioned Nadelen. “He’s got that ‘it’ factor you look for. He is an intense individual, but he understands how to coach and how to communicate. He is a big presence at 6-4, 250 pounds and has the voice for a coach.

“He says the right things not only to the goalies, and he sees a lot of what’s going on in practice – not only the good things but also the things the guys need to improve upon. He’s not afraid to say something to guys who may try to hide in drills, and let them know that’s not acceptable. Scott helps out a lot with the sports performance component too. He’s a big believer in being healthy and making yourself stronger and more mobile through movement dynamics.”

Ask any player or member of the coaching staff what their goals are for the season and, to a man, they will respond “win CAAs and an NCAA title.” The Tigers know they can’t rest on their laurels anymore. Summertime and fallball is over. Time to get to work.

“I am excited to have Scott join our Towson staff,” said Nadelen. “Scott is an exceptional goalie who possesses the ability and passion to teach the techniques needed to excel in the cage. He has a great rapport with those he has worked with and Scott’s personality, work ethic and attitude will allow him to fit in well with our culture of Towson Lacrosse.”

A member of the Tewaaraton Trophy watch list and a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award finalist, Rodgers was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 NCAA Championship. A two-time All-America honoree, he was the 2009 Great Western Lacrosse Player of the Year.

He led the nation in goals-against average (6.14) and save percentage (.663) in 2009 and in save percentage (.605) in 2010 in addition to ranking third in goals-against average (7.56) in 2010. Rodgers finished his stellar career with a 6.77 goals-against average and a .642 save percentage, making 371 saves and allowing 207 goals.

Rodgers was selected by the Toronto Nationals in the second round (seventh overall pick) of the 2010 MLL Draft and then was taken by the Minnesota Swarm in the second round (15th overall pick) of the 2010 NLL Draft.

Rodgers holds goalkeeping camps and clinics all around the United States. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s in sociology.

Columbus, Ohio – No. 3 Ohio State held No. 17 Towson to two goals in the second half en route to a 16-6 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday afternoon at Ohio State.

Towson (10-8) scored two of the first three goals before Ohio State (12-4) asserted itself, scoring four straight goals and holding an 8-4 lead at halftime. The Buckeyes’ defense improved in the second half, holding Towson scoreless for 14:46 over the second and third quarters and for 12:27 over the third and fourth quarters.

Junior Andrew Hodgson led the Tigers with a hat trick, while senior Matt Hughes posted two goals for the second straight game. Logan Schuss had a game-high six points on three goals and three assists for Ohio State. Senior Andrew Wascavage made eight saves for the Tigers, while Greg Dutton stopped seven shots for the Buckeyes.

“I want to commend Ohio State on an excellent game today,” said Head Coach Shawn Nadelen. “That said, we can’t make as many mistakes as we did today, we can’t allow them so many opportunities as far as possession times. They are a very balanced team and a very dangerous offense.

“I’m extremely proud of our team this year, and how they competed from the start to the finish. We didn’t start strong, but we finished strong. We were one of 16 teams to play in the NCAA tournament. A lot of people didn’t give us a chance, but our guys believed in themselves and put in the effort to get us to this point, back into the conversation as being a top team in the country.”

The Tigers won the opening face-off and worked the ball quickly down into the Buckeyes’ defensive zone. Sophomore Greg Cuccinello moved down the left side of the field and passed to Hugheswho was waiting right in front of the cage. Hughes continued his stellar end-of-season play, posting the game’s first goal at 14:13.

Just under five minutes later, Schuss equalized for OSU unassisted at 9:16. The Tigers got strong play from their defense in the first quarter, particularly sophomore JoJo Ostrander and junior Jordan Fortmann. A caused turnover by Ostrander late in the third quarter led to a goal from Hodgson, off a feed from sophomore Justin Mabus, that gave Towson a 2-1 lead at 5:37 in the first quarter.

OSU’s King knotted the score at 2-2 with under two minutes remaining in the first quarter, and Carter Brown gave the Buckeyes the lead with 29 seconds left in the quarter, 3-2. Ohio State picked up a controversial David Planning goal as time expired on the first frame to hold a 4-2 advantage.

A series of quick passes led to King’s second goal for the Buckeyes at 14:09 in the second, but Towson’s Hodgson answered with his second of the game at 13:31 to inch the Tigers closer, 5-3. King’s third goal and a fast break tally from Dominique Alexander at 5:40 pushed the Buckeyes’ margin to four, 7-3. Hodgson then notched his second hat trick of the season with 2:06 left in the half. But confusion over the timer and possession led to another Ohio State goal, and the Buckeyes held an 8-4 advantage at the half.

Ohio State went on a tear in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 8-2 over the two frames. Cuccinello scored a goal at 2:52 in the third quarter and Hughes added his second at 5:26 in the fourth for Towson.

Towson finishes the season at 10-8, 4-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

NOTES: Towson scored first for the eighth time this season (6-1) … Senior Matt Hughes scored two goals for the first straight game … Junior Andrew Hodgson posted his fourth straight multi-goal game and second hat trick of the season … the game marked Towson’s 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2007.

Opening Face-OffBoth No. 17 Towson and No. 3 Ohio State earned their conference automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Tournament with 11-10 wins in their respective title games. The Tigers come into today’s contest on a three-game win streak, while the Buckeyes have won six straight games.

Updating the Tigers
Towson won their fourth Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament trophy and first since 2005 with an 11-10 win over No. 9 Penn State on May 3. Sophomore Greg Cuccinello scored his second hat trick of the season and senior Andrew Wascavage made 12 saves. The Tigers are making their 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Scouting the Buckeyes
Ohio State is the 2013 ECAC champion after running the table at the conference tournament. The Buckeyes are 4-2 at home but had a 6-1 record on the road. One of those wins came against a common opponent – Penn State (10-9 in OT). This season, OSU won its first four games before trading wins and losses over the next five games. Ohio State comes into Sunday’s contest on a six-game win streak. The Buckeyes score 11.20 goals per game and convert on 50 percent of their man-up opportunities. They also win 56.3 percent of their face-offs.
Last Time Out vs. Ohio State – March 20, 2007 (Towson 10, Ohio State 8)Towson jumped out to a 6-1 lead but had to turn back a furious Ohio State rally as the Tigers held on for a win in the teams’ first meeting in 40 years. Joel Dalgarno, Kevin Buchanan, and Jeff Ryan each had two goals to lead the Buckeyes. Towson’s Jonathan Engelke led all scorers with five goals.

Towson-Ohio State Series HistoryOhio State owns a slim 3-2 advantage in the all-time series between the teams. Towson and OSU played four times in the 1960s; the Buckeyes won three. The last meeting between the teams occurred on March 20, 2007 when Towson claimed a 10-8 victory at home.

Towson-Ohio State By the Numbers

All-Time Series Record

Ohio State leads, 3-2

at Towson

Towson leads, 1-0

at Ohio State

N/A

at Neutral Sites

N/A

at Unknown Sites

Ohio State leads, 3-1

First Meeting

1962 – Towson 6, OSU 3

Last Meeting

3/20/07 – Towson 10, OSU 8

Streak

Towson +1

Towson in the NCAA TournamentThis year is the the Tigers’ 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since receiving an at-large bid in 2007. The Tigers have reached the Final Four twice – in 1991 and in 2001. In 1991, Towson played in the national championship game, falling to No. 1 North Carolina, 18-13. The Tigers are 7-10 overall in NCAA Tournament games and have a 3-1 record in first round contests. Towson has not reached a Final Four since the tournament expanded to a 16-team field.

2×2
For just the second time in Towson history, both the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are in the NCAA Tournament in the same season. The last time the Tigers accomplished this feat was 2005. In the 2013 NCAA Tournament fields, there are just eight schools that have men’s and women’s lacrosse teams in the NCAA tournaments – Penn State, North Carolina, Maryland, Duke, Loyola, Notre Dame, Denver and Towson.

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – For the 11th-straight year the University of Maryland men’s lacrosse team will compete in the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship tournament. The Terps, which received the No. 6 seed with an at-large bid, will play Cornell on Sun., May 12 at 1 p.m. at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

The Terrapins (10-3) are making their 36th NCAA tournament appearance, while the Big Red (12-3), which earned an at-large bid out of the Ivy League, will be making their 25th appearance in the tournament field.

Maryland and Cornell have played 15 times with the Terps holding a 13-2 series advantage. The two teams have not met since 2000 when the Terps won, 8-7, at the Big Red. This will be the fourth meeting between the two programs in the NCAA tournament. Maryland and Cornell met for the 1971 and 1976 NCAA championships with the Big Red winning both of those meetings. The Terps won the 1974 meeting in the semifinals.

This marks the fourth time that Maryland has been named the No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Terps were previously a No. 6 seed in 1983, 1992 and 2000. In 1983, Maryland topped No. 3 seed Virginia in the first round, which was also the quarterfinals, by a 13-4 score. The Terps then lost to No. 2 seed Syracuse in the semifinals, 12-5. In 1992, beat Duke, 13-11, in the first round, but lost to No. 3 seed Princeton, 11-10, in the quarters. The 2000 tournament was also a 1-1 finish for the Terps with a first round victory over Hofstra, 14-12, and a 10-7 loss in the quarters to No. 3 seed Princeton.

The winner of the Maryland/Cornell game will meet the winner of the No. 3 seed Ohio State/Towson first round game in the quarterfinals on Saturday, May 18, at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. The other quarterfinal matchup in College Park will come from the winners of No. 1 Syracuse/Bryant and #8 Penn State/Yale first round games.

Tickets for the Maryland-Cornell game will be available for by calling the Maryland ticket office at 1-800-462-TERP (8377). Adult general admission seating is $10 and student/senior tickets are $5. Mezzanine seating and suite holder tickets are available for $15.

University Park, Pa. – The Towson men’s lacrosse team (10-7) withstood a late rally from No. 9 Penn State (12-4) to defeat the Nittany Lions, 11-10, and claim its first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title since 2005 Friday afternoon at PSU Lacrosse Field.

PSU outscored Towson 4-3 in the fourth quarter to try and rally from an 8-6 deficit at the end of the third. The game was tightly contested until late in the second quarter and into the third when the Tigers broke it open with a five-goal run.

Towson was making its first appearance in a CAA final since 2010, when the Tigers fell to Delaware, 12-9 on May 8. Today’s championship is Towson’s fourth title in its ninth appearance at the CAA Tournament. Towson’s Thomas DeNapoli, Jordan Fortmann and Ben McCarty were named to the All-Tournament team. Senior goalkeeper Andrew Wascavage received Most Outstanding Player. It is Head Coach Shawn Nadelen’s first CAA championship.

Sophomore GregCuccinello’s second hat trick of the season led the Tigers. He also had one assist. DeNapoli added two goals and two assists, while senior Matt Hughes scored his fourth and fifth goals in four games.

TJ Sanders’s three goals led the Nittany Lions. Jack Forster and Shane Sturgis each posted two goals. Goalie Austin Kaut made six saves.

McCarty opened the game’s scoring with his seventh goal in two games off a pass from DeNapoli at 11:10 in the first quarter. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead at 10:25 when sophomore Cuccinello beat PSU’s Kaut middle right.

Penn State struck back with a three-goal run starting at 9:28, getting scores from Forster, Kyle VanThof and Steven Bogert. But DeNapoli cut short the rally with his 40th goal of the season at 2:05. Hughes caused a Penn State turnover, picked up the ground ball and fed it to DeNapoli for the score. Hughes capped the quarter with his seventh goal of the year and, fourth in four games, with one second left.

The Nittany Lions started the second quarter on another three-goal rally when Forster connected with Tom LaCrosse on a fast break at 13:53. Sanders scored at 11:11 and Gavin Ahern followed at 10:18 to give PSU a 6-4 lead.

Junior Andrew Hodgson notched a goal for Towson at 6:59 when Towson worked the ball around the back of the net to Cuccinello who fed Hodgson. He dodged a defender and beat Kaut high to low from 12 yards out. His goal inched Towson to within one, 6-5, and Mabus’ tally at 4:28 pulled the Tigers even, 6-6.

Cuccinello started the third quarter with a bullet at 12:30 to put Towson up, 7-6, before Hodgson scored just over eight minutes later to give the Tigers an 8-6 advantage they carried into the fourth quarter.

The final frame was a wild one, seeing a total of seven goals – four in the final four minutes. Cuccinello posted his final goal of the game at 13:19 from 13 yards out, but the Lions showed they still had some fight when Sanders scored his 41st of the season 45 seconds later. Hughes answered with his second of the game when freshman Dan Livingston cleared the ball and passed to a waiting Hughes right in front of the goal at 6:51. That put Towson up three,10-7.

Towson was whistled for a slash at 4:54 and Penn State capitalized just 24 seconds into the penalty with a Sturgis goal at 4:31 to make it 10-8. DeNapoli posted his 41st of the year at 2:33, unassisted to increase the Tigers’ lead to 11-8. It gave Towson just enough breathing room to withstand Penn State goals from Sturgis and Sanders, at 2:14 and 1:42 respectively.

With the win, the Tigers earned the CAA’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. They will find out their opponent during the NCAA selection show on Sunday, May 5.

PHILADELPHIA – The Towson men’s lacrosse (7-7, 3-2 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)) team scored six straight goals in the second half but the Tigers’ comeback fell short as No. 17 Drexel (10-3, 5-1 CAA) claimed a 14-11 victory on a windy Saturday afternoon at Vidas Field.

Junior Thomas DeNapoli recorded his sixth hat trick and second five-plus goal game of the season with six goals. Sophomore Greg Cuccinello added a pair of goals for Towson. Robert Church and Ryan Belka led Drexel with four goals.

“Drexel played very well offensively and took advantage of our mistakes on the defensive end,” said Head Coach Shawn Nadelen. “We had a decent first half and gave them a couple opportunities to get back in it with costly penalties. They came out firing in the third quarter, and we couldn’t earn a possession, which allowed for their run. I was proud of how our guys battled back from down eight goals to get within three, but we just couldn’t erase such a big deficit with the way we played earlier.”

DeNapoli opened the scoring just 44 seconds into the game, when he rolled right about 15 yards out and beat Drexel’s Cal Winkelman low. He posted the game’s second goal, again unassisted, at 12:07 and netted a hat trick at 4:18 in the first quarter when he ripped a shot while curling right around the goal. Drexel got on the board with a minute left in the first frame on a goal from Church.

DeNapoli picked up where he left off at 4:37 in the second off a Brian Bolewicki pass, but the Dragons answered with three straight goals from Belka (two goals) and McIntosh to even the score at 4-4 at 1:58. The Tigers briefly retook the lead, 5-4, with 43 seconds left in the first half when senior Matt Hughes buried a shot from junior Andrew Hodgson. But the Dragons knotted it the score again with 9.5 second left on Belka’s third goal of the day.

Drexel had an explosive third quarter, scoring eight goals to take a 13-5 lead at 4:32. The Dragons held the Tigers scoreless for 12:05 before Hodgson snapped the Dragons’ rally with a goal off a feed from DeNapoli. The junior’s tally started a six-goal Towson run that continued into the fourth quarter and featured goals from DeNapoli (two goals), Cuccinello (two goals) and sophomore Justin Mabus. The run helped Towson cut Drexel’s advantage to 13-11 with 6:57 remaining in the game.

On Saturday, April 20, the Tigers host Saint Joseph’s on Senior Day at 7 p.m. at Unitas Stadium to wrap up the regular season.

NOTES: DeNapoli posted his sixth hat trick of the season … DeNapoli and Hodgson stretched points streaks to 15 games … Wascavage stretched a 10-plus saves game streak to 15 games … This was the second time in 2013 DeNapoli has scored six or more goals in a game … Drexel went on a nine-goal run over the second and third quarters while Towson scored six straight over the third and fourth quarters.

It was Towson’s first win over a ranked team this season and first at home since a 9-8 victory over then-No. 5 Brook on March 19, 2011. The Tigers have now won three straight games this season for the first time and two in a row against the Pride, dating back to the 10-9 double overtime win in Hempstead on March 31, 2012.

Wascavage faced 42 Hofstra shots on the evening, withstanding a late Pride charge and turning away eight shots in the final period. Hodgson and Mabus each had two goals and two assists for the Tigers, who took a sizable 7-4 lead with 6:43 remaining in the game on Mabus’ second tally of the evening. Hodgson’s four points were a career best, while Mabus also notched a personal best with two goals.

Adrian Sorichetti had a goal and an assist to lead the Pride. Five other players had a single goal each for Hofstra. The Pride outshot Towson 42-26 and picked up three more ground balls, 19-16. Hofstra also won at the “X,” claiming 11 of 16 face-offs.

“Darn glad double zeros came quick there in the fourth quarter,” noted head coach Shawn Nadelen. “At the end of the game, things got a little crazy, but I thought our guys, for the most part, executed our game plan pretty efficiently. Defensively we were very sound and offensively we moved the ball and were patient at times.”

Hofstra scored the first two goals of the game before Towson took a 3-2 lead at the start of the second quarter when Mabus and Hodgson connected at 13:22 on Mabus’ first goal of the game. The Tigers never trailed again. Mabus scored the game-winning goal at Hofstra last season.

Tyler Johnston posted a goal at 5:31 in the second quarter to tie the game at three apiece before the Pride went cold on offense for the next 20:48. Tyler Begley‘s man-up goal at 10:43 in the fourth was the first of three tallies posted by the Pride in the quarter. Lance Yapor beat Wascavage with 12 seconds left, but Towson won the ensuing face-off and held on for the win.

The Tigers return to action on Saturday, April 6 at home against UMass at 1 p.m.

NOTES: Andrew Wascavage has now made double-digit saves (19) in every game this season and has a 12-game streak dating back to May 2, 2012 … Andrew Hodgson and Thomas DeNapoli each continued their point streaks which also stand at 12 games and date back to May 2, 2012 … The win marked Towson’s 58th program win over a ranked team and first this season … This game was Towson’s second straight 7-6 decision – both victories.